Torn Apart
by Londons answer to Robin Hood
Summary: All family relationships are exactly that same as in Twilight. Charlie gives Bella an ultimatum, what will she decide? And then who is the mysterious new calculus teacher and how does he know the Cullens? R&R Diclaimer on profile.
1. Chapter 1

-1Family Relationships like those in Twilight. Set after the 1st book.

I ran up the stairs, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't believe my mum was doing this to me. And Charlie. Having finally settled down in Forks they wanted to up root me and take me to live in California. Apparently my report card wasn't as good as it had been in Phoenix and there was Really good high school round the corner". Little did she know but my report had nothing to do with how hard I had been working at school, more about how hard I had been working to stay alive. 

I swear it was normal for a teenager to take time to adjust to a new school, gosh she was stressing too much recently. Ever since I staged the argument with Charlie so I could leave in a hurry, Renee has been convinced I really hate Forks, however hard I try and persuade her otherwise. And now she has the audacity to come to Forks and tell me how to live my life. 

I ran into my room, slamming the door behind me and fell into a cold wall of flesh. I breathed in deeply, taking in his scent, before pushing him away and throwing myself onto the bed.

"Do you want me to go downstairs and explain everything to them. I'm sure that if I tell them that I managed to sully your straight A report card by repeated endangering your life. I'm sure they would understand." Edward whispered literally millimetres from ear.

I rolled over to stare into his amber eyes.

"It doesn't seem fair" I moaned, "I have only had a few weeks with you and now they want to take me away."

I must have looked beautiful and blotchy, lying in his marble arms. Edward pushed a strand of hair from my tearstained face and just grinned at me with his lop sided smile.

"Maybe that would be best. All I seem to do is get you in trouble. Or I should say I get you in even worse trouble than you do on your own."

I gave him a scathing look. "Fine. Maybe I will move California."

"Don't be like that. If you really want to stay tell them that you like Forks and you'll get your grades up. Except in gym, you'll never ace gym."

"How do you know? You've never seen me in gym, I might actually be really good."

"Yeah and I can't read minds."

"There's always an exception to the rule."

"Very true. But when Charlie comes in about 30 seconds. Tell him you just really want to stay living here. You have got used to Forks way of life and really enjoy living the here and the independence he has given you."

He got up and moved to the window, before I even had a chance to sit up, in one of his fluid movement. "But don't mention me. We'll talk later".

And with that he was gone. I could never get used to the speed he moved.

I was still staring at the open window when Charlie walked in, seconds later. I pulled my legs up to my chest, my back resting against the head board, as he sat on the end of my bed.

"Do you really want to stay or are you just saying it to be kind? I don't mind if you want to leave this backwater of a place. I mean…." 

Words failed him. And I didn't need Edward to tell me what he was thinking.

"I love it here." I said leaning forwards and touching him on the arm. "I love the changeability of the weather and I love the carefree weekends and I love looking after you. Don't worry I wouldn't swap my life here for anything else in the world, I've only just got used to it. Don't take that away from me."

"Are you sure. Your not saying this because you feel sorry for me and secretly you hate Forks?" he looked defeated; Mum had that affect on people.

"Please Dad. I want to stay here. I'll get my grades up, concentrate on my work. Please let me stay here."

"And what about boys?"

Why did Edward have to always be right about everything - "What about them?"

"I don't think you should be seeing that Cullen boy anymore. He seems to have a bad effect on you."

"But Dad…"

"No buts, if you stay in Forks your grades have to go up and I don't want to see that Cullen kid anywhere near the house. Do you understand me?"

"Dad…"

"I'm serious. No boys and no bad grades. I'll give you until the mid term report." It was funny watching him act all authoritative. "If not then you'll have to go and live with your mother."

He stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.

I flopped back down onto the bed tired and confused.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Chapter 2

Edward didn't return that night, he probably didn't think it was wise to return so quickly after he had been banned from seeing me. Instead I was forced to curl up in my all too warm bed and drift slowly in and out of sleep.

He didn't come to drive me to school either, even after Charlie had gone, despite the dreary weather most suited to vampires.

I waited for him so long that I was late for my lessons. Not a good start if I was going to get a good report this term.

I barely noticed the road as raced into the school car park and screeched to a halt in the last available parking space.

I was _really_ late.

I ducked into Calculus just as the teacher began to write the lesson objectives on the board, but not before he noticed my beetroot complexion creeping to the back of the classroom.

"_Good afternoon_. And _who_ might you be?" I turned slowly on the spot, as all eyes focused on me. "But I might have known that if you had been here 5 minutes ago when I started the lesson."

"Bella Swan" I said to my feet, trying very hard to blend into the colourful display behind my head.

"Well Miss Swan, if you cannot feel bothered to turn up to my lesson when it starts you can come back and make up the time later. Lunchtime detention, today at exactly 12:30 and not 5 minutes late this time."

"But…"

"Sorry was am I not making myself clear enough." He sneered, "You have wasted my time and so now I will waste yours. If I were you I wouldn't waste anymore."

And with that he whirled round and continues writing on the board.

Angry and several degrees closer to melting point, I collapsed into my usual chair next to Mike.

"Seems like you've made a friend." Mike muttered, while he copied what the Mathematical Monster was writing. "You better write this down or you'll have a weeks worth's of detentions."

Quickly I grabbed my books and pen out my bag and started writing the small essay which had already be scrawled on the board.

"Who is this teacher anyway?" I whispered out the corner of my mouth. "What happened to…"

"Stop talking at the back! For the benefit of those who were _late_…" he smirked, searing holes into the back of my head, which was bent over while I frantically scribbled. "My name is Dr Bandara and I am replacing your last teacher, who retired last semester. So long as you keep on the right side of me you'll find that I am fair, but on the wrong side of. Well…"

The sentence hung in the air like smoke, choking the whole class into complete submission. No one dared breathe without first seeking permission from Dr Bandara's cold hard stare, as he searched for any sign that we were going to undermine him. What a power trip.

His eyes shifted back to the board and began to explain a long equation squeezed into the corner of the already crowded board. I tried to focus on what he was saying but I was still fuming from the humiliation of the beginning of the lesson.

And now I had a cosy lunch date with a teacher from hell, instead of the living dead. Edward would think that I was avoiding him after Charlie's little chat last night. I could rely on Edward's mind mongering skills, hope that he reads Mike's mind and discovers that I am being held against my will. But I couldn't guarantee that Mike does just think about how much salt he has on his fries, boys minds work in mysterious ways.

I was out of my seat as soon as the bell rang and sprinted across the classroom, knocking several desks with my knee. But there was no one on the corridor, well at least no one I wanted to see.

I collapsed against the wall and let the rest of my class file past hoping that Edward's superhuman speed was for some reason being slowed today, but I was left on a half empty corridor, as Mike came out shutting the door behind him.

"What a dictator." He said, waiting for me to fall into step with him. "Where's your boyfriend then? You had an argument?" he asked a little to eagerly.

There nothing like a boy who can't take a hint.

I fell into step beside Mike, not really listening to what he was saying, and wondering why Edward was avoiding me. Surely he hadn't taken Charlie that seriously, I mean what could Charlie really do to Edward? He was no match to Edward's speed, power and there was always the mind reading thing, I mean it wouldn't be fair.

The rest of my morning lesson's dragged on, as I watched the clock for both the approach of my dreaded Lunch date but also Biology, the only lesson I shared with Edward.

Finally, I found myself knocking on the Calculus classroom door.

A cold steel-like voice bade me enter, and I pushed the door open.

"Strange how when it is your time being wasted you are much more eager to arrive on time."

He didn't even raise my eyes, instead he talked into the exercise book that lay open on his desk. I just wanted to get this over with.

"Right sit down over there", he said, still not looking up but extending one bony finger in the direction of a desk piled high with very old looking text books. "If you look inside the front cover of each of those books, you'll find that there is a number in the bottom corner. Can you order the books and then carry them through into the cupboard open at the back. And I will be checking."

Great, a menial task, leaving me to dwell endlessly on why Edward hadn't tried to see me all day.

The seconds dragged on, until I was convinced that I was going to fall into a pit of old calculus textbooks, and never reappear, but instead be dragged slowly down by a fountain of numbers and equations.

Dr Bandara hardly stirred the whole time I shifted books about on the desk, but as I got up to go and start piling them into the cupboard he looked up, as if startled by my sudden movement. Our eyes met for the first time and I was instantly reminded of something sinister and deadly. His eyes were a steely blue colour, and glared out at me from under brilliant blonde eyelashes, which matched his bright blonde hair. He was wearing a well-cut suit, which accentuated his bony shoulders and as he stared at me he wrinkled his nose slightly as if there was a bad smell.

Finally I broke the silent glare, which was harder than it should have been, and began lifting the books off the table. I could feel him watching me as I lumbered across the classroom, only managing to drop a few textbooks on my toes.

"Miss Swan, if you are going to throw my books on the floor then you might as well just leave them on the desk and I will do them later. You are free to go but do not let me catch you sneaking in late to my lesson again."

"Thank you" I gabbled, as I shoved the books onto the nearest shelf and ran towards the door Dr Bandara already held open.

And as I passed him I could have sworn he bent his head slightly, as if to smell me.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Chapter 3

I could get out of school fast enough. I had spent the rest of my day trying to ring Edward or Alice or anyone who might know where all the Cullen's were; no one was picking up.

I didn't notice the car blocking my exit until I had almost backed into the sleek black car.

Looking in my rear view mirror, I saw a pair of steely blue eyes staring straight at me. I jumped and twisted round in my seat as Dr Bandara opened his car door and came round to my window.

Winding my window down I stared into the middle distance not wanting to meet his all too cold glare.

"In a hurry somewhere, Miss Swan?" he sneered, leaning on the frame of the door. I sunk further down into my seat as the blood rushed to my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I …" I began, but he cut me off.

"You seem agitated today. I was talking to the other teachers in the staff room and they told me that you are quite close to the Cullen family."

"I…"

"Carlisle is an old friend, would you mind passing on a message to him?" Two long fingers extended into my truck, with a thin bit of paper clasped between the knuckles.

I grabbed the letter and stuffed it into my bag which lay on the passenger seat beside me.

He stood there for another couple of seconds, and there was no doubt now that he sniffed the air, as if he could smell my scent.

I sat there shaking, waiting for him to reverse out of my way. Dr Bandara couldn't be a vampire, he didn't have the same angelic beauty, the black eyes.

But he was smelling me, and he knew Carlisle. Maybe he had worked out another way of resisting the draw of human blood, a maths equation perhaps.

I waited until I was sure he couldn't be following me and then slowly reversed and drove towards Edward's house. I was probably being stupid but it did seem strange that the day none of the Cullen's come into school, a weirdo stalker guy smells me and then wants to talk to Carlisle.

I was so distracted I almost missed the turning into the Cullen's long winding drive, and ended up making doing a huge sweeping curve onto the road.

As the house came into view, I started to relax. I was starting to think that they had all up and left me, without a moments notice, but I could see Alice already running down from the open doorway, presumably she had been waiting me to emerge for the last half an hour. It was annoying how you could never surprise her.

She was at my side before I had opened my door, reaching over to me and grabbing the letter.

"Alice, I need to give that…"

"I know but Carlisle needs to read it now. Its important, he won't believe me until he has it in his hand." And with that she disappeared back into the house.

I sighed, and clambered out of my truck, slamming the door behind me. I could feel his presence before I could see him. I turned into the marble wall of flesh, winding my arms around his cool torso, breathing in that euphoric perfume.

I was home.

"Where have you been?" I muttered into his chest.

"Never mind that. What is he like?" Edwards voice sounded anxious. For a second I had no idea what he was talking about I was so absorbed in being in his arms again.

"What….Oh you mean Dr Bandara. He's really freaky. Is he a…"

"I think it is better that Carlisle tells you, he know it better than me. He will know how to explain it better. But no he not a vampire, not in the traditional sense anyway."

I pulled way from our embrace to look at Edwards face, he seemed worried, like what Carlisle was going to tell me was something he would rather I didn't know about.

Edward sighed, and picked me up, carrying me at superhuman speed into the grand hallway of the Cullen household, and through into the dinning room.

Carlisle was sat at the head of the table with Esme and Alice peering over his shoulders. Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett stood in a group their heads together muttering, but Jasper broke away from the group as Edward set me down.

"Well I don't like it." Jasper growled, reminding me why I had never felt close to him. He never seemed fully rid of his inner vampire. "I don't want anyone watching what I am doing."

"It wouldn't be all the time, just for the next couple of weeks." Carlisle answered, still looking down at the letter. "He says that it will only be for the next month, and then he will publish his findings without mentioning anything about our names or locations. No one even knows he is here, so they can't trace us."

"But this is breaking all the rules, and we might be exposed. I thought the whole point of not attacking people was protecting them from Vampires. He will end up exposing us all and the other vampires will think it is an excuse to stop hiding. We will end up with mass murder."

"You don't have to do it if you don't want. But I believe than any study into the behaviour of vampires is going to help us."

"Well I don't want Alice doing it either, its not safe for her."

"Er, excuse me I am in the room you know." Cried Alice coming round the table to poke Jasper in his chest. "I think it would be interesting. We spend all our time trying to behave like humans, it will give us a chance to know what makes us Vampires."

"I already know what makes me a vampire," grumbled Jasper, rubbing his chest.

"If you all finished," Edward teased, nimbly squeezing past me. "I think it would be wise to talk to the only person in the room who has actually met Dr Bandara."

All eyes on me; my face instantly reddened.

"Bella, of course." sighed Carlisle, looking up for the first time since I had entered the room. "so what do you think is he trustworthy?"

"I..I..I'm sorry I don't understand. Who is he? Is he a vampire?"

"No, sorry I forgot you hadn't talked to Edward since Alice latest vision. Dr Bandara is human, but he has a special gift. His sense of smell is greatly heightened, meaning he can smell vampires. Don't look so alarmed, it seems he is quite friendly.

"Yesterday evening Alice had a vision that someone who knew our secret would come to Forks, and would try and talk to us. It was unclear however what he wanted to do once he had contacted us, it seems he doesn't know either. How did he contact you?"

"Um well, he is my new calculus teacher" I said, "He gave me a detention for being late to his lesson, and then after school when I was getting into my car he stopped me and gave me this letter for you. He seemed to know I knew you, I suppose he could smell your scent on me. He kept on sniffing the air whenever I was around him."

Edwards tensed, his arm tightening around me waist. "But what was he like? Can we trust him? It seems the same power that means he can smell vampires also means I cannot read his mind. Whenever I try its like running into a brick wall. Worse than it is when I try to read your mind."

"He's quite mysterious, I actually thought he was a vampire. I wouldn't trust him."

"Well he hasn't given us away yet." Interrupted Emmett, "If he says that he wants to study our behaviour then I think we should meet with him and find out what that really means. If he wants to prod and poke us then we can tell him to sod off. I want to meet this guy, he seems…mysterious."

Emmett winked at me.

Edward growled at him, but Emmett just laughed.

"Well you don't have long to wait." Alice grinned back at Emmett. "He followed Bella's vampire scent here, he just can't decide whether to ring the doorbell or walk straight in."

Just then there was a knock at the door, the whole room froze.


	4. Chapter 4

-1You wouldn't have thought Dr Bandara knew what all the people in the room really where the way he strolled in. I could feel Edward clutching at my side squeezing so hard he was almost breaking my skin. I shifted slightly and his grip loosened but he still didn't stop staring at Dr Bandara.

Alice was the quickest to recover, probably because she had known he was there longer than everyone else, and quickly skidded round the table to shake the mans hand.

"Hello welcome to the Cullen household." Smiled Alice warmly, "You must be Dr Bandara we were just discussing your letter."

She motioned to the ripped bit of paper in Emmett hand, who had just picked it up before the unexpected guest. I could see Rosalie clawing at his arm trying to get Emmett to snap out of his trance.

"Yes, sorry I turned up without telling you I was coming but normally if I give vampires too much time to prepare for my arrival I tend to find they have disappeared. Funny that!" Bandara drooled moving further into the room and taking the seat opposite Carlisle who looked angry as Emmett and Edward.

Come to thing of it as I looked from one male vampire to the next, they seemed all to have the same look of complete loathing. I was surprised that they hadn't pounced yet.

"Ah it seems we have already hit my first snag when conversing vampires." he chuckled stretching out his legs under the desk and reaching into his pocket. "Ladies I am afraid I have had quite a bad effect on your mates. It won't last but give them a couple of minutes to get used to the feeling but please do not startle them. If they have difficulty overcoming their instincts then with your permission I could give them a little thing I have invented."

"What….why…why are they so angry?" cried Esme, staring at her husband. "normally he is so good. I mean he can resist blood why not this?"

"He can resist blood? Really? I would like to see that?" Grinned Dr Bandara sitting up very straight and peering intently at Carlisle.

"But you still haven't explained why you have no affect on Esme, Alice and Rosalie." I cried with a little too much passion because just that second Edward had dug his fingernails into my hip, puncturing the skin.

Instantly the whole room shifted.

Carlisle head snapped from staring at Dr Bandara to Edward's hand around my waist. Emmett lunged forward towards where me and Edward stood and as I looked up at Edward I could see his whole eye had turned completely black.

Rosalie grabbed Emmett and pulled him off the table where he was scrabbling against Dr Bandara who seemed to have move just as quickly as his opponent.

"Get him out of here" Bandara cried staring wildly around the room. "Everyone out now!"

There was a flurry of movement and then suddenly it was just Bandara, Edward, Carlisle and me left in the room.

Carlisle it seemed had finally come out of his trance and was helping Bandara with some sort of syringe filled with a silvery liquid. They managed to turn Edward round, although his eyes stayed staring at me the whole time.

Unblinking.

Edward shuddered as the liquid was plunged into his skin. He collapsed into Carlisle arms breathing heavily, as his eyes returned to an amber yellow.

"Well that was close" Said Bandara, pulling me up from the floor where I had dropped when Edward let go.

My sides ached and when I lifted my t-shirt to inspect my tender sides I found dark purple marks and one red line, just the size of a fingernail…a fingernail of superhuman strength.

Edward refused to meet my gaze.


	5. Chapter 5

-1Carlisle took one look at me, with my t-shirt still raised to look at my bruised side, to Edward crotched staring very determinedly at the floor, and whisked me out of the dining room.

"All that needs is a band aid" he said cheerily, but clutching my arm very tightly, as we swept past Rosalie and Emmett who still seemed to be locked in a wrestling match.

Esme smiled at me encouragingly, but her eyes darkened as we raced past.

"Best not stay in here it appears." laughed Carlisle, still gripping my arm. "Here we are, if you just sit on that step there I will just patch you up."

Once I had the band aid taped rather too firmly to my side, Carlisle flashed me the first smile I really believed.

"Right. Now we have that sorted. Shall we return to entertain our guest?"

As we came back into the dining room the other all fell silent. They had a assembled round the table, as if in a formal meeting, and none of them could meet my gaze. Only Doctor Bandara seemed content enough to watch my journey round the table to sit down next to Edward.

I reached out and gave his hand a friendly squeeze, but his fist stayed as hard as rock. He still wouldn't look at me.

"I was just saying to the others here," sneered Bandara, "All I want to do is study your behavioural patterns. You are very unusual, and ever since then the Vampire Monitoring Council discovered such a large, for want of a better word, vegetarian vampire pack, we have been very interested in talking to you.

"I mean if there was some sort of technique to your resistance, then we could teach other vampires to do the same…"

"Wait" cut across Jasper, "our _vegetarianism _is a choice, a way of life. Not something a human run council can force upon the whole vampire population. The VMC have interfered with the vampire way of life before, with dyer consequences. I do not want to see a repeat of 1989. We are not helping you open up another vampire cleansing service."

"No one wants to see that size of a disaster, especially the VMC." replied Bandara, all hint of a smile gone from his pale features. "But the Vampire Monitoring Council have changed quite dramatically since 1989. We are working much more on cures and ways of trying to subdue the natural instincts of vampires. We would never ever consider trying to cleanse you again. The VMC is well aware that vampires cannot help the fact they are vampires, however we would like to help them understand themselves better."

"A fat lot of help your cures are going to be. No one will want to take them." growled Jasper.

"You'd be surprised" smiled Bandara. "Edward here has already benefited from our beneficial drug scheme. If we hadn't no given him the pewter saline your friend here", he said nodding to me "might not be with us anymore."

"I think we should listen to him" said Carlisle, "The more we know about ourselves, the more we will know about how to control ourselves."

"Exactly. All I need is for you to allow me to join your household for a week or so, allow me to study your day to day behaviour. I might also talk to you about the different drugs we could offer you, especially if you have any difficulty controlling you basic instincts."

Edward stood up very suddenly.

"I am going outside for some air." he managed to hiss before exiting straight through the window.

I stood up and gazed round the room at all the confused faces. Only Alice seemed to be content.

"Don't worry he has not gone far. He's in the garage but I wouldn't go to him if I were you. He won't be very friendly. No not like that." she laughed, seeing my scared expression, "he just is worried about you… and him. Go home Bella, he won't return until you are gone. I will make him come visit you tonight. Go home, Charlie is starting to wonder if you have broken your promised to him already."

As I drove away I could see a shadow lurking round the side of the house, waiting for me to leave.

**A/N- Review please?? The more you review, the more quickly I write, so the more you find out...**


	6. Chapter 6

-1Charlie was stood in the doorway as I drove up to the front drive. So I deliberately made sure I was parked completely straight before I got out the car. I needed time to make up a convincing reason for my lateness.

"I thought I had banned you from seeing that boy?" He called across to me when I finally got out of my car.

"What?" I said back, pretending I didn't know exactly what he was talking about.

He gave me a scathing look and moved aside for me to get into the hallway.

"I went to the school library after class" I lied, trying to keep my reddening face hidden as I dug inside my bag.

I pulled out the books I had grabbed at lunchtime whilst scanning the library for any sign of Edward, and shoved them into Charlie's hands. He looked genuinely surprised.

"I thought I might try and start my reading for English." I grinned taking the books back, "I'll be in my room if you want me? Dinner at 8, is that ok?"

And with that I rushed up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door behind me.

I tried to start the book we had been set to read, I tried to complete the calculus problem Bandara had set us, I even tried to email Rene but each of these I gave up in turn. I couldn't concentrate.

All I could see was Edwards eyes, darkened with the physical side of himself he tried so hard to control. I was never bothered by the chill of his skin, I even liked his icy lips but the coldness in Edward's eyes made me shiver.

I had to do something to distract myself so I went downstairs and starting cooking Charlie his dinner. I wasn't hungry.

Once I had parked Charlie in front of the game on the TV, lasagne on lap, I went back upstairs telling Charlie to get I wanted an early night, so that he wouldn't disturb me.

I knew he was there before I had even opened the door.

Edward was sat on my bed, waiting for me to swing the door open. I half expected to see those cold, unblinking eyes, but they had returned to the gorgeous amber.

I ran to him, expecting him to open his arms to receive my hug, but instead he shot across the room. Leaving me to fall stupidly onto the bed.

"What was that for?" I hissed, trying to show how hurt I felt inside. "first you storm out of that meeting with Bandara and hide from me when I come to find you. Then you won't hug me. If this is about Charlie I don't care. I…"

"No, it's not that." It was barely more than a whisper. "I just don't trust myself anymore. I really hurt you today. I…I…"

But he stopped, he could face admitting he had come so close to attacking me.

"But you didn't attack me. I never thought for a moment you would."

"Well I did. I know I did…I imagined it. _Every detail_." His voice cracked.

I went over to him cautiously, as he sank to the floor and put my arm around him.

"Bandara said he had drugs that could help," he chocked although no tears ran down his contorted face, "He said I could get better."

"But your not sick!" I protested, "I like you the way you are, you don't need to take drugs to be around me. It was only because Bandara was there that you overreacted that's all. Emmett, Jasper and even Carlisle were the same. If you hadn't scratched me then Carlisle might have attacked Bandara. Esme had never seen him like that."

Edward just gave me a doubtful look.

"I promise Edward. I love you just as you are. Vampire and all."

Edward finally relaxed under my arm and reached round to return my hug. But I pulled back in disgust.

"What is that smell. Have you been eating garlic?" I cried, wrinkling my nose.

"Oh yeah, that. Bandara has asked all of us who agreed to be observed to take these tablets. They smell of garlic because apparently the smell of garlic masks the _stench_, as he put it, of vampires. He reckons that's where the legend that Vampires are scared of garlic come from. Humans who could smell vampires couldn't smell them when they hung garlic on there door."

"Hmmm…" I said as I lent in again trying hard not to gag. "So you agreed to be his guinea pig then?"

"We are not guinea pigs. He is just observing our day to day lives"

"Whilst feeding you drugs"

"Whilst we take herbal remedies to make it possible for him to work. Have you ever considered how hard it is for him to walk into a room of vampires, we are natural enemies. You should smell minotaurs."

"Who else is being _observed_ then?"

"Only me, Alice and Carlisle. Esme offered but Bandara wanted those of us who had the most contact with humans. He wanted Jasper to do it too, because he is our newest recruit but Jasper refused, surprise, surprise."

"Yeah I got the feeling that Jasper didn't trust Bandara much for their conversation." I grinned, as my nose finally got used to the garlicky stench.

"So I am going to have a little shadow for a while. He will sit with us at lunchtime, the story will be that he and Carlisle are old school friends and he is mine and Alice's godfather. And he asked if he could see you and me together."

"What?" I shouted, pushing away form Edward again.

"He was very interested."

"I'm not a freakshow to be prodded and poked…"

Edward grabbed me and shoved a hand over my mouth.

"Shhh! Look we will talk about this tomorrow. Charlie is coming."

Then he was gone.

I had just enough time to grab the book I had abandoned on my bed, before Charlie burst into the room.

"What are you shouting at?" He gasped, as his eyes swept the room. He had obviously run full pelt up the stairs.

"Oh sorry, did you hear that? There was a huge twist in my book and I just kinda shouted out a bit." I lied again, the temperature of my face reaching boiling point.

"Well, don't do it again. I thought you were being attacked. Try not to get so involved in you book in future." He said, but his eyes settled on the open window, which was blowing a cold daft through my room.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, walking to the window and shutting it, but not before he had a good look down for any evidence of a retreating boyfriend.

"Good night then." I said, trying to get rid of him.

"What? Oh yeah good night then Bella. Don't read for much longer."

I slept alone for the second time in two nights.


	7. Chapter 7

-1As I got out the car I still couldn't believe I had agreed to this; A date under observation.

Edward and I hardly ever went on dates, not proper dates. We had kinda skipped that stage when he repeated saved my life as vampires attacked me left right and centre.

And what made it even worse was the fact that I had seen Bandara's cold staring eyes looking directly at me each time I had glanced in the rear view mirror.

I was starting to associate Edward with the smell of garlic, which I was not enjoying. Bandara had sat with us all week, which had attracted more than a few quizzical looks. However his attitude to me in Calculus if anything had gotten colder, as if he saw me as a selling out to the enemy.

Edward had chosen a restaurant in Forks because I had point blank refused to go anywhere further, technically I was at Angela's for a girly night in, well as far as Charlie was concerned.

He had become really concerned with where I was every second of the day, even turning up at school one afternoon for a "surprise visit".

Edward had also observed that there was often a patrol car parked across from the entrance to the drive leading to the Cullen's house, however he refused to tell me what Charlie was thinking, but continued to warn me to not bring the topic up with him again.

As I walked towards the restaurant entrance I could see the evening stretching out in front of me.

Edward, ever the gentleman, held the door open for me and I shuffled through the doorway. He never failed to embarrass me.

We sat right by the window, while Bandara sat on the other side of the restaurant, where he could observe Edward over my shoulder. I didn't like him boring holes in the back of my neck.

"Bella, just relax. He can't even hear us from all the way over there." Edward soothed as I dropped my napkin for the third time. "Imagine we are just on a normal date."

"When have we ever had a _normal date_" I replied a little to aggressively. "The last actual date I can think of you carried me through the forest at a super speed. If this was a normal date I would be expecting a bloodthirsty tracker vampire to jump out of the shadows. I can deal with that. But being watched…ergh."

"Oh come on, we have had some normalish dates" laughed Edward, his eyes twinkling irresistibly. "Anyway I like you under pressure your cheeks go so red…"

And he lent over to kiss me. A light tender kiss, strictly lips as always, but enough to remind me why I wouldn't mind being on a date with him, whatever the situation.

From then onwards I relaxed a bit and by dessert I had completely forgotten that _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ was sat across the restaurant watching our every move.

However when Edward went to pay I was brought back down to reality as the bemused head waiter came over to tell us that the "blonde man in the corner" had already paid for our meal.

Bandara could never fail to be freaky.

We walked to Edward's car, arm in arm and got in. Bandara got in the back and, before the awkward silence could fill up all possible space in the suddenly very hot and stuffy car, wiped out a notebook which he obviously been writing notes about us on.

"Edward I noticed that you also ordered food," Bandara said without any warning, "although it would not be considered regular vampire diet. Why was that?"

"Well I didn't want Bella to feel uncomfortable in my presence and also it would look odd to the other humans in the restaurant." Answered Edward monotonously.

"Interesting. Also…."

I sank back into oblivion. I had learnt to tune these interviews out. I hated hearing Edward discussing his relationship with my supposed Calculus teacher, especially when he explained his motives for acting in a certain way. I much preferred the spontaneity.

Finally I yawned loud enough for Edward to hear me.

"Oh sorry Bella." Edward said, "I sometimes completely your not vampire."

"Would you say that your forgetting could ever lead to you hurting Bella again?" said a cool voice from the back.

The temperature dropped so suddenly that I thought I had be dunked into coldwater.

After the longest two seconds of my life Edward put the car into gear and drove off, reaching the traffic lights before I even had a chance to put my seat belt on.

Edward dropped me just round the corner from my house, and got out to say good by without prying ears, although prying eyes followed my progress round the car and into Edward's arms.

"Don't listen to him Edward." I pleaded in his ear, as Edward wrapped his arms round me even more tentatively than usual. "Remember what Jasper said. The VMC see vampires as a threat to human society, but you are no normal vampire. Please come tonight."

I kissed him lightly on his ear before pulling way and running up the road.

When I turned round I could see Bandara was already re-sinking his talons into Edward's self-confidence.

I would have to do something soon, otherwise I might loose Edward.

Forever.


End file.
